‘Titanfall’ Review Roundup: It Delivers

Published 1 year ago
by
Andrew Dyce
, Updated March 13th, 2014 at 5:09 pm,

The next generation of home consoles may have arrived months ago, but for many, the promise of next-gen gaming is still waiting on a handful of anticipated releases – Titanfallchief among them. Spawned from the mind of Respawn Entertainment, the blend of traditional multiplayer shooter and mech-based combat has kept fans on the edge of their seats since it was first revealed. And finally, release has arrived.

Storming onto the PC and Xbox One as of March 11, the multiplayer-only (more or less) game is already under plenty of pressure. As Microsoft’s biggest exclusive, Titanfall is being relied upon to give the Xbox One some help in the ongoing console war, and EA is already investing in the future of the brand. But all that depends on the game impressing those who play it early.

“Titanfall lives up to all the expectations established when it was first revealed, in a way that so few games are able ever to accomplish, and represents nothing short of first-person shooter multiplayer taken to new heights.”

“Titanfall is the rare game that feels like it came out on top of the few compromises Respawn has had to make. Sliding the spectacle and holy shit moments of an epic campaign among bold, fast multiplayer that steals unlikely elements, Respawn has made them shine like they belonged there all along.”

“While Titanfall isn’t the first game to feature rock ’em sock ’em robots, Respawn has somehow found a way to mix jet-packing, wall-running soldiers with lumbering, powerful mechs, and make it work. Like, really, really work.”

“When it’s not all a clash of the you-know-whats, when there’s a volatile mix of scampering boots and earth-rattling bipeds on the battlefield, Titanfall truly excels. It subsists on imbalance and the race to bear big arms first. It feeds on the fallout that results when equality means the other guy gets a robot too. Titanfall isn’t tuned to perfection for everyone yet, but it starts as a smart, swift and startling movement in well-traveled space.”

“The high-flying action intertwines beautifully with the brutish, tactical titan battles, creating battlefields that crackle with possibility. Titanfall is a leap forward for shooters, a game that combines the vibrant and new with the tried and true to create something special.”

“Again, our expectations weren’t sky-high, but it’s rare to play a campaign where your actions feel so utterly unimportant to the narrative… So long as you understand what you’re getting, Titanfall is a wonderfully fast, open, and instantly accessible 12-player shooter, and if playing online is at all important to you, it’s an essential addition to your Xbox One library.”

“It says much about Titanfall that its training courses are all but irrelevant: you’ll pick up the controller and pretty much instinctively know how to play the game… Yet by making some smart tweaks to established design standards, Respawn’s terrific shooter is a jet-powered hop ahead of its rivals.”

“Titanfall blends familiar concepts with innovative ideas in remarkable ways, leading to a nearly nonstop supply of awesome moments. But for as fun as it is, you’ll likely find yourself wishing Respawn was more ambitious when it comes to game modes, since there’s a good chance you’ve captured enough flags for one lifetime.”

Score: 8/10

What do you make of the reviews? Are you happy to hear that the game has managed to impress with its balancing, even if it lacks a traditional singleplayer campaign? Or have your doubts, like many, centered not on the quality of the product, but how it performs once its opened up to a massive player base? Share your own thoughts in the comments.

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Titanfall is available for the PC and Xbox One on March 11, 2014. An Xbox 360 release arrives March 25.